Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchal election tomorrowive finalists in election for new Patriarch

ADDIS ABABA, Feb 27, 2013: The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarchate Electoral Committee had announced the 6th Patriarchal election candidates as Archbishop Abune Mattias of Jerusalem, Archbishop Abune Elsa of North Gondar, Abune Hizkias, Archbishop of Kaffa, Sheka, Bench and Maji, and General Secretary of the Holy Synod, Abune Mattewos of Wolaita and Dowaro and Abune Yosef of Bale.

The 6th Patriarchal election would be conducted February 28, 2013 and the result will be announced same day in the evening. 800 voters who participate in the election would be drawn from archbishops, clergy, representatives of ancient monasteries and 53 dioceses.

The enthronement of the Patriarch elect would be held March 3, 2013 at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has decided that it will not drop two names from the list of five candidates, and that all five names will be submitted to the electors on Thursday. The person with the highest number of votes on Thursday will emerge as the sixth Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Delegations from sister churches have begun to arrive in Addis Ababa to observe the election and to participate in the enthronement on Sunday.

February 27, 2013

08:04 AM

Tomorrow, February 28th, in the Hall of the Gospels, at the Patriarchal Palace in Addis Ababa, the electors will assemble at 7 AM. His Eminence Archbishop Abune Natnael, Locum Tenens and Acting Patriarch will lead the electors in reciting the Magnificat to open the session. Following the prayer, members of the electoral committee will then give a short explanation of the procedures for the last time. Then Abune Natnael Locum Tenens of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and two other of the most senior Archbishops (by date of elevation to the episcopacy) will stand together on the dias holding up three processional crosses and administer the electors oath. The electors will in unison say:

"As I present myself to elect a Patriarch, I pledge to root out from my conscience, all scheming, hatred, jealousy, greed and envy. I will distance myself from ties of blood or friendship, and without any favoritism or private desire, with thoughtfulness and carefullness, will elect only that father who I believe will be the spiritual shepherd and loyal servant of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. I swear this before the Holy Trinity, in the name of the All Knowing and all Powerful God. If I fail to carry out this which I have sworn to, in this world or the next, on the day of the final judgement, I will answer for it before God."

The electors will then proceed to vote for the 6th Patriarch.

Some blogs are reporting that Abune Matewos, Archbishop of Wolaita and Dowaro, has removed himself from candidacy and has secluded himself in his rooms in the Patriarchal complex. It is unclear if this means the electoral committee will remove his name from the ballot. Other reports deny that His Eminence has done any such thing. With all the public posturing of various camps and interest groups, I completely understand why the Roman Catholic Church locks it's Cardinals into the Sistine Chapel and seals the doors, cutting them off from all contact with the outside until they emerge with a new Pope.